One Way or Another?
by NightshadeTwiningTheRosary
Summary: Oz has finally escaped The Abyss, the strict school ran by the Baskervilles, entering Pandora P. Academy. Life is finally going right, however, the Baskervilles want revenge. What will Oz&Co do? OzxGil and other pairings -Yaoi & lime- Sparks will fly!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello Readers! This is my second fanfic ever (yay!) but unlike my other one, this is not OCs, only original characters! Which I know you all love... Anyway, just a quick note. I tried to make these characters as much like the original as possible so...hopefully I did (Please tell me if I didn't and I will make an effort to fix it, promise!) Some of the original details have been tweaked to make this fit my world as it's a little AU, so I hope you like those and also, this is an UNBETA-ED EDITION so the grammer might be a little bad. (Sorry in advance) but I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!**

**Dislaimer: I do not own Pandora Heart or the amazing characters, if I did then it would be entirely OzXGil :) All credits to the Mangaka for this! Enjoy...  
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><p><span>Chapter One<span>

_Oz/Gilbert_

Oz Vessalius bit down gently on Gilbert's lower lip, making the boy unwillingly gasp, just as he had intended. Oz needed no further instruction, his tongue moving in almost immediately to explore his lover's mouth. Their lips moved in perfect synchronicity with each other, like a fiery dance of passion and love, joy and pleasure, tying strings around their lungs and making it hard for them to breathe. However, Oz wasn't giving up his boyfriend so easily. He felt the Nightray respond after a few moments of surprise, pulling himself eagerly against him and kissing him back for all he was worth. They fought for dominance, a battle of tongues and lips before a breathless Gilbert gave in, submitting to the older boy with a groan low in his throat. It was a sound that made Oz's body burn with warmth and victory and, very slightly, his body adjusted, slipping Gilbert beneath him and splaying him across the sheets.

The Nightray pulled away, his head falling back onto the pillow, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. His cheeks were flushed, making them the colour of frosted rose petals on a winter's eve, his lids half closed with ecstasy. Oz smiled, drawing deep breathes and nuzzling his face in Gilbert's neck, trailing sweet kisses along his jaw line. His lover sucked in breath sharply, hands travelling up Oz's back, knotting his fingers in his shirt, his hair, anything he could grip.

"Oz…" Gilbert breathed "No more…"

The blond sighed, untangling himself, settling atop the Nightray's chest, his own arms winding around the boy's waist. This seemed to settle him but the sparkle in his golden eyes didn't lesson, only brightening that little bit extra and making Oz's heart skip a beat when a smile tilted his lips. Oz had to be nice to the boy today, he still felt a little guilty from making him almost pass out just the other night but sometimes the time just ran away with itself. Oz could hardly contain himself, like now, for instance. His heart was throbbing in his chest and everything was on fire. All the blond could do was _want_. He just wanted _more_, more than what Gilbert was prepared to give him. The fool still got embarrassed, was still awkward in these situations, clumsily submitting without even providing a challenge. It was kind of cute.

Oz pulled himself up, chastely pushing his lips to Gil's, his hands slipping under the dark-haired boy's shirt and over the velvety-soft skin underneath. He grinned to himself, amused by the way the boy's cheeks reddened further, expanding all the way up to his hairline.

"_Bocchan_, please." He murmured, "I have to go."

"No, you don't." Oz said persuasively, rubbing circles with his thumb over his stomach. He was so warm, seeming to almost radiate heat, like a little sun. His amber eyes were bright yet they were as delicate as silk, boring into Oz with a cherished and inconsequential love. "You can't leave yet. I won't let you."

Gilbert groaned. "I have a test I should be studying for." He grumbled, "You realise that Vanessa will kill me if I fail, right?"

"You shouldn't tease me." Oz purred, tugging ajar the collar of his shirt, tracing his lips along his collarbone.

"I-" The Nightray started but was cut off when his lover placed a finger over his lips to shush him, positioning himself so the full force of his devilish green eyes were fixed upon him. Gilbert felt himself crumble, every word that he had been about to say forgotten instantly, departing and leaving his mind to wander.

"No more words." Oz breathed seductively, making Gil's breath catch in his chest and his heart pick up more than it was. The blond arched an eyebrow, a dark and determined look shining. It was dangerous and lustful, like a tiger before it leaps for it's meal. It was a look that made his skin tingle with excitement, his eyes widening.

"You're not going anywhere until we make love."

Gilbert was about to protest -his heart was in his mouth, a thousand things running in his head, on the tip of his tongue. Was he really ready for this?- however he was silenced by his own shudder of nervous breathe rattling through his lips. He swallowed hard. He knew Oz well enough to know he'd never push him into doing something he didn't want to do, but he also knew if he really wanted something, he'd make sure he got it. He was a deadly charmer that could flirt his way in and out of anything, just like his brother. Gil stared into those beautiful emerald eyes, how they held a challenge within them, but he also saw the hope there, that delicate shimmer that could still make his chest expand to the point where he thought it might burst. Cupping the side of his lover's face, his hands were fairly steady. They didn't shake as much as they used to when Oz joked about this sort of thing and his face didn't feel as warm, like it was going to singe right off. He felt relatively calm about this, a sudden floaty feeling causing him to smile.

"Oz." He breathed, that single word holding so many emotions, so many unsaid words and consuming desires, pains. "I love you."

"I love you too." The blonde replied, leaning in and kissing him deeply, not needing permission to explore his mouth this time. Gilbert had giving in, indulging in the sweet taste that filled him, the searing yearning that awakened within, his lashes fluttering to a close and a tender moan bubbling in his throat where their skin entwined. Oz's kisses became more urgent, demanding, but as gentle as ever as his slick palm cupped over Gil's and their fingers interlocked just as the blonde's hip began to roll over his own, up and down. The darkette's eyes squeezed tightly shut when he felt his body begin to respond, hardening beneath Oz, and he suppressed a moan. His breath was ragged and tears began to spill down his face, unnoticed by his lover. He had never imagined just over a year ago that he would be here with the boy he loved. He had never even imagined he would see Oz again and it had broken every piece of himself within. He hadn't thought he would cope, so alone and lost, wondering and worrying over what was happening to the one and only person that had given him a purpose. He had never imagined that just ten months later his love would be returned to him, just how he had been and still eager to stand there and flirt so hard Gil thought he might die of shame and embarrassment. However, right now, all that shame and guilt seemed to make it all the more sweeter, bittersweet, almost like taking a bite out of a forbidden fruit. It all just fell away, replaced by a tender excitement.

Oz knew this was how it was supposed to be, just the two of them together with no worries or hesitation and, for the first time, they both understood the feeling of true happiness, even if it could not be forever. It was there now and that was all that mattered to them.

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><p><em>AliceJack_

Alice stared at the wall, impatience riling her nerves and causing her to give a stubborn growl. How much longer would she have to wait for that stupid lowlife idiot? It was bad enough that he had managed to persuade her to sneak out of her dorm room just to unlock the gate for him, especially this late, but it was even worse knowing she could get caught any minutes by the Chains.

_Damn prefects, _Alice cursed, _always skulking around like they own the place, just because they're older. I hate them all._

Suddenly there was a sharp crunch and her head whipped around, staring at the gravel path for any sign of life. The sounds were getting gradually louder, echoing in the night air. Alice's eyes narrowed.

_I swear if it's that idiot clown again, stalking me for gossip, I am going to kill him. _

Alice knew Xerxes Break was just the type to have followed her, even more so when he was chasing up a lead for the latest story. Him and Sharon-chan were practically uncontrollable, running around here, there and everywhere, using anything and anyone they could just to get what they wanted. However, Alice wasn't interested in their stories, she hadn't heard anything juicy enough to be rated interrogation worthy, so they'd left her alone a little recently, for which she was glad.

The crunching came to a halt, falling to silence and replaced by the sound of somebody whispering her name. The girl sighed, swinging the borrowed key over her head and using it to undo the lock on the dorm gates. Jack snuck in, ducking under the heavy metal chains and then righting himself with a wink.

"Thanks, Alice." He said softly, "I owe you one."

Alice made sure to keep her face blank when she replied, flipping out her long mahogany locks, "Yeah, whatever." She mumbled.

Locking up the gate once more, she replaced the key back over her head and slowly began to walk back to her dorm room, followed by Jack, whom seemed to be in a very light and bouncy mood this evening (more so that usual!), humming to himself and rocking on his heels.

"So…" Alice started, not liking the silence between them, "How's Lacie this fine evening?"

Jack shrugged, turning to her and arching an eyebrow, a devilish smirk perking his lips. "Why? Are you jealous all of a sudden that she has the pleasure of my company and not you? We could go out sometime too, if you want."

Alice felt blood rise into her cheeks, heating her face. "No!" She growled a little too quickly, after which she cleared her throat and said more calmly, "No, I was just wondering how she was. She's a Baskerville and I don't want to have to wake up one morning to tell Oz his brother got himself killed messing with the sister of that bastard, Glen."

Jack winked at her, messing up her hair with a hand. "You worry too much. Don't worry," He purred, "I have Lacie wrapped around my little finger. Glen isn't going to do anything, not after the last time anyway. He's the one that came out worse off, not me."

"That was his own fault." Alice stated, "He shouldn't be such an asshole."

"Regardless, I could have killed him that day for what he did to her."

Jack suddenly had a distant look on his face, his eyes turning gentle as the spiky golden locks of his bangs blew in the wind. He had a gentle smile on his face as he recalled that evening when he had snuck out to meet Lacie and he had found her by the lake -the halfway point between Pandora Private Academy Jack attended and The Abyss, where she was forced to go- in a heated argument with her older sibling. The rattling crack that had echoed in Jack's ears that night as he'd witnessed Glen slap his sister, so hard she had stumbled, falling to her knees and quivering in fear, had been the last straw. He just hadn't been able to hold back the fury that had overcame him and he'd just lunged into a full scale attack. Jack supposed he could say that Glen and him had been less than friends since that incident.

"What about my sister?" The brunette asked, "How is _she_? Didn't you go to dinner with her earlier?"

Jack's emerald eyes gave a shimmer, "What can I say?" Jack grinned innocently, "I'm a busy guy."

"You're a whore." Alice corrected him, shaking her head at him in disgust. The blonde flirted with just about every girl he came into contact with, and dated even more of them, however he never seemed to be able to stick to just one. Lacie and Alice's twin, Alyss, were also victims of his rogue ways. Just like tonight, it was a regular occurrence for Jack to be out and about, avoiding the wrath of Vanessa Nightray and winding unfortunate, sparkly eyed, girls into his playful embrace.

Jack stared at her with wide eyes in false offence, curling a hand over his chest. "Alice, you wound me. That wasn't very nice." He feign sobbed, his eyes darkening, "I might have to tell Oz about this."

Alice's head pulsed with anger and she narrowed her eyes, shaking a fist at him. "You stay away from him!" The brunette growled, "The last thing I need is you poisoning him with your dramatics."

Jack gave a chuckle, coming to a halt at the fork in the road that branched off to the male and female dorms. Quietly he gave Alice a wave and wished her good night, bowing deeply and thanking her once more for her assistance. She gave him a flippant glare back but, behind that, there was still the telltale shine of happiness that gave her amethyst eyes their lustre. It made Jack pleased to know she wasn't as harsh as she could sometimes seem and she didn't bother as much as she let on about helping him. He would never admit readily just how much these meetings with Lacie actually meant to the blonde or how much he cherished the blackette, no matter what had happened in the past. Jack didn't care that he should be enemies with the Baskervilles, that he should be rivalling with their school -formally known as Sabrie Institute of Education- or even that his father had been cruel enough to send his brother, Oz, into that dark and depressingly strict place. What was important to him was the way that Alice had gone out of her way for Oz and had assisted him in busting out of there after ten long and unhappy months. Jack would always be forever grateful to her for that, as well as to Oz's friends for keeping his sibling's escape a secret, and to Lacie for making sure Oz was safe when he couldn't. It was basically impossible to keep his eyes on the boy all day, not with Vanessa constantly on his tail for this, that and the other. She was just such a Buzzkill, always getting irritated at the slightest things.

Turning into the dorms and climbing the grand staircase to the upper floors where the rooms resided, separate from the common room, Jack breathed an exhausted sigh. He supposed the brunette had been a little right, his schedule had been packed this afternoon. Classes had been mandatory in the morning…then he had been dragged to a prefect meeting by Vanessa over lunch…then there had been all those extra classes he'd had to go to for not paying attention again in class…and, to top it all off, he'd arranged dinner with Alyss and a stroll with Lacie directly afterwards. Today had certainly been crazy, though it hadn't been the worst. He'd had days where he'd barely had time to breathe.

He was thinking about something he'd been discussing in the Chain meeting when he suddenly remembered there was something he needed to ask his brother. It was almost their sister, Ada's, birthday and Jack still had no idea what to buy for her. He was hoping that Oz would have some ideas or that he might be kind enough to hint what he himself had bought. All Jack knew for sure was that she wanted some form of party to celebrate, one filled with spectacular music and exotic costumes to make it that little extra special. Ada never did things by half, especially when it involved anything big like a celebration. The parties she threw were often the talk of the society, earning both praise and complaints in equal amounts.

Jack double backed on himself, taking a detour and heading in the general direction of his sibling's dorm room. Drawing out his pocket watch, Jack checked the time. It was almost eleven so Oz was still bound to be up at this time, doing whatever it was he did in his spare time. However, the oldest Vessalius didn't get any time to ponder what exactly it _was_ Oz did in his spare time because when he arrived at his door, raising his fist to knock, he froze. There was a husky moan coming from within that made Jack's brow draw together. Callously pressing his ear to the wood curiously, he listened. There was another breathless cry, followed by the moaning of a word.

"_Bocchan…_" The voice cried softly.

Jack leant back from the wood and smirked, heading back down the corridor to his own room again, a giggle escaping his lips. He guessed he needn't guess now what it was his brother did when he wasn't occupied by work, because it had been plainly obvious with sounds like _those_ coming from his room. Jack contemplated how Alice would react if she found out what her beloved Oz was up to right now, or even Sharon-chan, the gossip queen, and her sidekick, Break. They would have a field day with this information and would most certainly use it to their advantage. However, Jack had no intention of cluing any of them in. No, he would wait and watch as his brother walked into class tomorrow, proud as punch, and his friends tried to pry from him his reasoning for such an expression. Jack gave another giggle, reaching back after he was back inside his own room and the door had been promptly locked, sliding out the ribbon from his hair. His fingers combed through the silky golden strands, unwinding the long braid that flowed down his back and leaving it to flood over his shoulders, loose and in perfect waves. He changed quickly, tossing his jacket onto his bed and slipping on a pair of drawstring pants, hanging the rest of his sky-blue uniform over a chair, leaving his upper body bare.

Shaking out his hair, Jack laid down on his bed, folding his arms behind his head as he thought about tomorrow's activities and how dull they would no doubt be. He felt sorry for what probably lay in store for Gilbert when the others guessed the raven haired boy was the reason for Oz's smug look. Sharon-chan would dig her claws in for sure to get the end of the tale, that, or result to blackmailing, which was the most probable. It was just what she did. He'd known her long enough there was no stopping her when she was on a mission to solve a mystery.

Jack smiled, clicking open his pocket watch on the desk. It was almost midnight, so it was about time to get to sleep. Humming a tune that mimicked one Lacie often sang to herself, he felt his breathing slow and just as gradual, he fell sound asleep, tumbling into lovely dreams of him and her at that lake that night.

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><p><em>LottiGlen_

Lotti stared into the eyes of her secret love, taking in their shadowy expanses of lavender colour. His black hair fell around his face like ink, giving his skin a pale pallor that was drawn and reserved, regal in it's own right.

Glen was not happy.

Bowing her head, she waited on him to speak, not daring to break the silence out of fear of angering him. She knew as well as anyone just how harsh he could be when he was angry so she gave him her patience and kept her lips clamped firmly shut. When at last he did speak, Lotti felt her heart sink and her blood boil in anger.

"Where is my sister?" He asked her.

Lacie. Lacie. That was all he ever discussed with her. As if she was supposed to know where and what that disgusting tart was up to. Probably sharing her bed with their enemy, Jack Vessalius. It was because of him chasing Lacie that Glen was always so miserable, the reason she was so rebellious and defiant of her brother. Lotti wished she could just slap the blackette and alert her to what it was she did to her brother, but she knew she needn't. Glen beat on her often enough for talking back and always disappearing. It made Lotti smile to know she got exactly what she deserved, however, Lacie never did repent, she still refused to step aside and let them destroy the blond twerp that had escaped the Abyss with Alice. She still always protected him and clung to her pathetic boyfriend.

"I believe she snuck out again." Lotti answered.

Glen _tsk_ed, scowling. "Tell me, Charlotte," He said, "What does my sister see in that despicable Vessalius that drives her to behave like a spoilt child."

Lotti shook her head because she did not know. To her, Jack was annoying beyond compare. It was him that had given her that dastardly stupid nickname and she had pulled that long hair of his for it. What an idiot he was!

"Fine then." Glen said sternly, "I suppose this situation is best discussed without her anyway."

Lotti nodded, sitting in the chair he gestured to. "What did you want to talk about, Glen?"

"In shot," The black-haired man said, "I want you and the others to destroy Oz Vessalius and make his brother suffer. I also want Alice brought back here. This is where she belongs, not…_there._" He spat the last word.

Lotti smiled alluringly. She was liking the sound of this plan. "What's your plan?"

"Tomorrow evening, Lacie has an art class so will be otherwise occupied. During that time, I want you to lead Fang, Doug and Lily to Pandora Private Academy and take care of Oz. I want you to make sure that Jack has no other choice but to dump my sister, do you understand? I want him to hate her."

Lotti nodded, her heart filling with joy at the coming pain that awaited Lacie. She was going to get everything she deserved.

"Talk to Miranda about ways to sneak in and get around the gates. She should know what to do and…as for Alice…bring her back here, but I'm not fussed if she's a little ruffed up." He smirked darkly, "In fact, I might prefer it. Either way though, be cautious and do _not_ allow Alyss to find out. She is the Will of the Abyss -she runs this school as our president so we can't afford for her to know- she will try and stop us. Again, Miranda should be able to get around her being the vice president, but do be careful all the same."

"I will see it done." Lotti said, rising from the chair. Clasping her ring leader's hand in hers, she gave it a peck before backing away to the door. Glen returned to what he had been doing previous, picking up his book and shoving it into his lap to continue reading silently. For a few moments longer, Lotti just stared in awe at him, feeling her heart swell, then she left feeling pleased and excited. This time tomorrow, she would be witnessing Lacie in tears and she would be pleased. Glen-sama would be pleased and he would smile at Lotti. She would be the one to make him happy.

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><p><strong>Well, I hope you enjoyed that and I will endeaver to update as soon as I can, depending on reviews and replies, etc. If you like, please let me know and I will continue! I appreciate all criticism, good and bad so...go for it! R&amp;R as you wish and also, any ideastips/requests for the plot and where to go later on in this will be great appreciated as the plot is not in contrete yet :) Thank you for reading!**

**~NightshadeTwiningTheRosary~  
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	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Konbanwa! That's Japanese for good evening, people! Alright, first things first! Gomannasai...I'm really sorry for making you wait for the update. It's not a long one because I was in a rush to get this to you, however I hope it was worth the wait and that it's enough until I can give you some more. Again, this is an UNBEATA-ED EDITION so again, sorry for the grammer mistakes :( I am trying my hardest to make them as small as possible. Thank you for staying loyal and enjoy!**

**A/N(2): These are the couplings I plan to do, just before any confusion occurs: OzxGil, SharonxBreak, JackxLacie/JackxAlyss, LottixGlen (Opinions are welcome.)  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts, sadly. All praise goes to the Mangaka for her wonderful characters!**

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><p><span>Chapter Two<span>

_Sharon/Oz_

"Oz-kun?" Sharon asked, trying to grab the blonde's attention. The said boy was staring into space, like he had been all morning, with a huge grin plastered all over his face, his skin practically aglow with happiness and making his emerald eye sparkle as he rocked back and forth on the hind legs of his chair.

"Mmhmm?" He inquired, not moving an inch and riling Sharon up with a killer curiosity and gnawing determination to rip free from her best friend the secrets that were making him more cheery than usual. The anticipation was making her smile wobbly and winding her with impatience, a vein popping out on her brow.

"You," She said, leaning towards him and drawing a paper fan from her sleeve, "You have been looking like the cat that got the cream all morning. Spill it, Vessalius."

Oz's eyes widened temporarily before shrinking again and softening back into his casual, relaxed grin. "Nope." He said bluntly, tilting his head away smugly.

Setting the fan on the table, Sharon blinked at the boy innocently, feigning betrayal and pain on her face, her lashes becoming damp. "But _Oz-kuuuun!_" She whined, "You can't hide secrets from _meeee_! I thought we were friends…" Sharon sniffed.

_Haha_, The caramellette thought, _this should get him to talk. Oz-kun can't stand waterworks, especially mine._

Immediately Oz began waving his arms around rapidly, trying to shush her as she began to bawl in the middle of the library. A few people where turning around to stare at them curiously and the librarian gave them an evil glare.

"Shhh." Oz ushered, "Jeez, Sharon-chan, calm down. Alright, alright, I'll tell you, okay? Here." He said, handing her a handkerchief, which she used readily to mop up the tears that had never been there in the first place. She held back a grin.

Oz sighed, sitting up in his seat properly and sitting forward. He gestured for Sharon to lean in and she did, her eagerness at the coming knowledge and gossip making her breathe catch in her throat. She bounced in her chair in excitement, resting her ear close to the blonde's lips. His breath curled, blowing warm air over her skin.

"What is it, Oz-kun?" Sharon asked softly.

The boy let her curiosity fester just for a couple more seconds, then he said…

"It's a secret."

With a chuckle, Oz fell back into his chair, laughing uncontrollably as he stared at her, legs kicking and all. Sharon glared into space for a moment, then, an evil smile emerged and she thwacked him around the head with her fan.

"Oz!" She moaned, giving him the puppy eyed look while he rubbed the spot that now held a giant throbbing bump on his head. "You said you were going to tell me!"

Oz shrugged, his giggles having fallen silent, even as his shoulders still proceeded to spasm every few seconds. "Sorry, Sharon-chan, but the look on your face was just so funny!" After seeing the vein in her forehead begin to become more prominent, even as she continued to smile sweetly, he sobered up. "I just told you, I can't tell you. It's a secret. I promised someone that I'd keep it to myself."

"Mmhmm." Sharon mumbled in disbelief and disappointment. "You're so mean, Oz-kun."

The blond just sat there, bemused, before checking the clock behind him, a squeak of shock escaping his lips. He began rapidly collecting his things and shoving them in his bag, swinging the strap over his shoulder.

"That time already?" Sharon asked.

Oz nodded, seeing her expression "I know, right? Classes…yay." He grumbled.

Sharon watched him leave, closing the giant ivory door in his passing while she leaned back into the back of her chair, tapping her pen to her chin. She analysed the facts in her head, thinking. This morning, heading into class, she remembered sitting there just as Oz had taken his seat and wondering why he was so happy this early. The boy was always happy normally, but it had been mesmerising be so…warm. His joy had practically vibrated out of him. It had been the weirdest thing ever. Then to top it off, he was keeping it all to himself. Very weird indeed. Routing through her bag for some homework she could probably do to pass the time, Sharon gasped in pain when something pricked her finger, pulling it loose from the masses of paper and notes and other what-not junk with a frown. It was a plastic fork, the kind that they had sticky taped to lunch boxes and the like.

_What's this doing in here?_ Sharon thought, then she remembered and smile tenderly. Gilbert had said something to Alice the other day and she had tried to start a fight with him in the middle of the lunch hall, grabbing whatever had been at had for her assault. Turns out that had been her fork.

_Oh yeah, _The caramelette grinned, _It took nearly all of us to pry it from her fingers so she didn't poke someone's eyes out. I put it in here out of her way._

Suddenly a thought hit her, coming out of nowhere from Sharon's thoughts of Alice. She recalled she had been on her way last night to Alice's room because they were going to study together for the quiz that was on today, however when Sharon had gotten there…

_That's right, Alice-chan had been away. She had mysteriously disappeared…_

Her pink eyes sparked, a dark and devilish look clouding over her face.

_Oz-kun keeping secrets? A missing Alice? How very suspicious, very suspicious indeed. It's no secret that Alice-chan has a crush on Oz-kun, perhaps she finally plucked up the courage to ask him and…_

Sharon had her cell phone quicker than you could say _Sherlock_, tapping in her speed dial in an instant and pushing it to her ear. It rang once, twice, three times before the person on the other end picked up.

"Good afternoon, _oujo-sama_." Break answered

"Break-chan, what are you doing right now?" Sharon asked curiously, eyeing the librarian and lowering her head. The last thing she needed was to get the device confiscated when it was so critical right now.

"Right now? Cleaning out the resources closet like you asked me to." Break chuckled, "Why? Is there something else you want me to do for you?"

Sharon smiled a sickly-sweet smile. "Well…how do you feel about interrogating some of our friends with me? Oz-kun is keeping a secret from us."

Break gave another chuckle. "Oh, _oujo-sama, _you are too much. Have you considered that perhaps he is keeping this secret for a reason?"

"Of course I have, but when Oz-kun walks into class with such a happy face and I can recall Alice being absent from her dorm room last night, well, what's a lady to think…?"

"Well then, I think I will need to go and grab my things then if that's how the situation is. It seems we have a mission on our hands."

"Yes." Sharon giggled, "Operation: Oz's Secret, is underway. We'll have to hurry and get started. Meet me in the library A.S.A.P."

Break sighed, "It's a good thing I have no homework."

Sharon clasped shut her cell-phone and shove into her bag, waiting giddily with a wondering and joyous intrigue boiling in her stomach. She was just so excited! At last, she would have something to do and a cause worth running around for. Sharon was determined, she would find out what was going on no matter what. Her gossip feed depended on it and, should this story be good enough, there was always the chance of putting in the next issue of the school paper as well. The possibilities were endless. She would certainly found out Oz's secret now that her appetite had been wet. Nothing would stop her now.

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><p><em>AliceSharon/Break_

Blinking up at the two stood before her, Alice felt a huge sweat drop drag her down. Seriously, what the hell, right? All she had been doing was sitting here, in her room, and doing what she _should_ have been doing last night. Studying. It was boring and Alice was read to eat her own head if it would just stop the throbbing. Her brain hurt from trying to do these stupid math problems. Then _they_ had showed up at her door, Sharon with her creep bittersweet smirk that meant she was after something and that damn clown trailing after her. Alice had no idea what was worse, her textbook or these two. However, when Sharon-chan had a look like that on her face, there was no getting rid of her so Alice had let her in, begrudgingly, brushing the crumbs of beef jerky off of the stupid uniform dress she had to wear.

_I hate this thing, _She grimaced, tugging at the white puffy sleeves of her blouse in horror, _Why do we even have to wear this crap?_

It was powder blue, disgusting and far too long. How was she supposed to be able to kick out the Baskervilles if they came to attack her and Oz again if she kept getting her legs wrapped up and tangled in the knee-length monstrosity. Then there was the frilly socks…

Alice stopped herself before she could get anymore peeved over her outfit, taking a seat on her bed and chomping on the length of jerky she had been doing before they had arrived.

"What d'ya want?" Alice asked, straight to the point.

Sharon blinked at her, tilting her head in an adorable expression. "Alice-chan, what's the matter? You sound upset. You know you can tell me, right? That's what friends are for."

_Tell her. _Alice scoffed, _What a joke. You can promise a pretty penny that if you tell her anything it'll be around the school by the next morning. Why the hell do they have to visit me anyway? Idiots._

"Why are you here?" Alice demanded, "I don't know anything about any story you're working on so don't waste your breathe."

Break and Sharon exchanged a look and Alice unexpectedly felt her nerves creeping up on her. So, the reporter _was_ here looking for information, but about what, she hadn't the faintest. Alice didn't care about the lives of other people, except for Oz. he still owed her for busting him out of the Abyss and Alice was going to milk it for all she could while he was still a moron that would go along with it. When Sharon turned back to look at Alice, she had a glint in her eyes, making the magenta pools darker and deeper, more like wild oceans that puddles.

"Alice, where were you last night?" Sharon asked her, Break whipping out a pad of paper and a pencil out of nowhere, glaring at her.

"Where…was I?" Alice repeated, confused.

"Yes." Sharon clarified, "Where were you between the hours of ten and midnight last night when you should have been in your room for our tea party?"

_Shoot!_ Alice blinked. She had completely forgotten that last night she had scheduled for Sharon to come over and help her with her math equations. It had completely slipped her mind when Jack had asked to hold the gates for him.

"I was…" The brunette kept her face blank as possible while she tried to think of a valid excuse to give the journalist-wannabe. She could hardly tell her the truth knowing how Sharon was. The information would come back to bite her in the butt when the caramelette next needed something. She'd never live it down.

"Were you with Oz?" Sharon demanded, the pretty salmon eye fixed on her victim, intense and deadly.

"O-Oz?" Alice shook her head, "No. No, I wasn't."

Break leered at her, leaning forward creepily, making particles of perspiration form on the back of her neck. After a couple of moments of letting her sweat, he pulled away, allowing Alice to breath a sigh of relief. It was so weird having that albino stare looking at you. So cool and searching, almost as if he were peering into the very depths of her soul with that one red eye. It was way beyond normal.

_Creep, _Alice grumbled internally.

Break also blew out a bored mutter, flipping his pencil in his fingers and shoving the pad away. "She's either a really good liar or she appears to be telling the truth, _oujo-sama_."

Sharon _tsk_ed. "Shame." She said, "I really thought it was her. But…" Her eyes were suddenly alight again, glistening and eager, "If you weren't with Oz, then where _were_ you then? You had to have been _somewhere_. Tell me! Tell me! Come on, Alice-chan, I have to _knowwww_….Were you on a date?"

A vein popped out on Alice's forehead. Right, that was it, now she'd had enough. Her patience had officially ran out at the mention of _dates_. What a thing to think! She was on a _date_. As if! Alice only had eyes for one boy and as far as she knew, he was taken, by another boy. A wallowing knotted in the brunette's stomach and a blue haze shadowed her expression with misery. She narrowed her eyes, standing and ushering both of them towards the door violently, shoving the air behind their backs.

"Right, both of you, out! Now! Get out of my damn room and don't come back, perverted stalkers!"

"But _Alice-channnn_!" Sharon whined, smiling sweetly, "You have to tell me…you have to tell Big Sister!"

"Out!" Alice yelled, earning a few stares from some other girls in the halls. She was about to slam the door in the faces of them both when a gloved hand caught the wood, putting her eyes to eye with the narrowed and evil gaze of Sharon.

_Oh no, _Alice breathed, _Now look what I've done. Sharon-chan has gone into…Princess Mode_. She shivered.

"Alice." Sharon cooed in a bittersweet tone, holding the door open no matter how hard Alice shoved her weight against it. "You know, it's a pity that Oz doesn't know you like him. He might ask you out if you did."

The hairs on the back of Alice's neck prickled. _No, she wouldn't… _Then again, looking into those determined and deceiving eyes, she could believe Sharon would. Alice whimpered internally, sighing and opening the door. In a pitiful submission, she gestured for them to come back in.

"Yay!" Sharon squeaked, having reverted back to normal and completely out of psychotic princess mode. Break was giggling into his long sleeves cheerfully, following after his mistress when they resumed their previous places.

"Jeez…" Alice grumbled, "What is with you two?"

Sharon smiled. "Oz is keep something a secret from us so we're trying to find out what it is. It has to be something that happened last night and well…we were sure it was you, however, I was wrong."

"I was with Jack." The brunette told the pair, "I never saw Oz."

"Jack?" The caramelette made a gleeful noise. "Were you two on a date?"

"No." Alice growled. As if. As if she would ever go out with that flirty ass, even if he gave her a lifetime of jerky. Sure, he looked like Oz and acted like Oz and reminded Alice so much of Oz sometimes she thought he _was_ Oz, but he was still nothing but a lazy bum and a whore. Alice had never even contemplated going out with him, ever, ever, ever! No, she had not!

_So why are my cheeks going red?_

The girl grit her teeth in irritation. "No, we weren't. I would never date that lowlife. Jack snuck out to go and meet Lacie Baskerville by the lake. He asked me to open the gates for him later on, that's all, okay? He promised to give me this huge box of beef jerky if I did it."

"Oh, I see…" Sharon mumbled, looking a little disappointed.

"So that's what that smell is." Break chuckled.

"Where did Jack go after you let him in?"

"The dorms, I presume." The brunette shrugged.

"I wonder if Jack saw Oz…" Sharon pondered. "There _are_ related, it's very possible he knows what his brother has been up to."

"It is." Break agreed.

"Thanks, Alice." Sharon grinned, standing abruptly. "We'll show ourselves out, okay?"

Alice pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "Yeah, sure." She said, waving a dismissive hand at them. The door closed quietly behind them and the brunette stifled a groan, flopping down onto her bed. Trust her to awaken Sharon-chan's mischievous, vindictive side. She could be seriously scary when she was in Princess Mode. Demanding and willing to go to extremes, it was almost like she was a completely different person to the sweet and charming girl she was normally. Of course, it was better than her gushy, emotional Girl-Mode too. Sometimes the brunette just couldn't keep up with the caramelette's constant Mode changes. It was all too much for someone to have three personalities all in one.

_Weirdo, _Alice commented to herself, _Her and the clown are a perfect pair. Both are out of this world. Complete and utter aliens._

Kicking one leg over the other, Alice drew another beef jerky out of her box and ripping a chunk out of it with her teeth. She should have felt sorry for Jack, but somehow, she couldn't bring herself it care. After all, it was out of her hands now. A grin stretched out over her face and a dark chuckled bubbled out.

_Have fun, Sharon _onee-sama_…_

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><p><strong>There you have it, guys! I hope that was good and amusing for you seeing Sharon going crazy and on a mission. Next chapter: Jack gets interrogated, revealing something that leads Sharon to her next victim...how will Gilbert cope under pressure?<strong>

**Again, I will try to update as quickly as possible but that all depends on you readers reviewing and letting me know what you think so R&R please! I can only continue if you want me to! Leave any ideas as well, they will be much appreciated and any critiques to help make this better. Feel free to ask me questions as I go and I'll try to answer them in the next chapter. Thankee for reading, I love you all for staying with me! :)**

**Right, now my Extra-Special-Thankees:**

**Esmeralda**** Kitty Cat - Thank you for your review. As you can see, there is more now! As a matter of your questions; In this story, Oz and gang are about sixteen years old (They are legal, don't worry, lol!) with the exception of a select few (Jack, Glen, Vanessa..) who are eighteen and the likes of Ada, Elliot, Leo, who are about thirteen. For the sake of this plot, Gilbert and Oz are the same age****. Oz escaped with the help of Alice (That was specified in the chapter) who busted him out of the Abyss ten months previous to the present.**** Thank you for the compliment and I hope I can keep being worth your words. Also! *Give you a cookie* Thankee for being my first ever reviewee!**

**Zeni S. Master - Thank you for the Favourite Story. I hope you continue to read and don't regret your decision.**

**Daughter of Sun and Moon - Thank you for the Favourite Author...aww...you're making me blush. Really, I'm just an amateur! Thank you :)**

**Deathestar - Thank you for the Story Alert. I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't regret your decision to watch out for me. **

**There you have them! A HUGE thankee to these people.  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Ohiyo Gosaimasu! At last, chapter 3 had arrived! Sumimasen for the long wait, but I recently just got a job and have had MAJOR writers block! I know...you don't care and you'd much rather read than listen to my rambling. Lucky got you, this chappy is really long because I endeavored to make it extra good for you, so I hope it was worth the wait after all and I'll try to update quicker, really! Okay, well onwards then...This is an UNBETA-ED EDITION as always, so sorry in advance for the grammer and spelling problemos. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy.**

**A/N (2): Yeah, I know, stop babnling Night-chan! Just a quick note! I'm looking for a Beta Reader for this story at the common moment and would really appreciate it if anyone who is interested in doing this for me could PM me ASAP! Thankssss**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts or any of it's characters. All rights go to Jun Mochizuki herself. I only hold claims to this AU and the plot that's sure to follow, as well as an OCs that might/might not pop up. I also do not own the ringtone used for Gilbert's cellphone, which some of you might recognise as his character song; "Truth" sung by his voice actor, Toriumi Kousuke (it's fab!)  
><strong>

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><p><span>Chapter 3<span>

_Jack/Sharon/Break_

"Go! Find him now!" A female voice boomed down the corridors of Pandora Private Academy, earning a few curious stares and glares. "That dumb idiot can't have gone far, not this fast." The black-haired Chain continued to grumble, a pair of angry heels clacking against the ground, hard and irritated as the skirts of her uniform blew out behind her. Jack Vessalius ducked back into the classroom he'd taken to hiding in, pushing himself as close to the wall as physically possible with a smirk tilting his lips. As the murderous footsteps receded into silence, he gave a giggle, leaning around to check the coast was clear. Luckily for him, it was, and Vanessa had fallen for his little duck and cover trick, running down the halls and following a false trail. He'd have to remember to pick up his bag at some point today from the classroom that he'd had no choice but to dump it in after he'd been spotted. Breathing a sigh of amusement, the blond flicked his hair out of his eyes, shaking his head.

_Ah, Vanessa. My dear, will you never learn?_

Gleeful of how today had turned out, Jack strolled out of his hiding place, making a beeline for the music room to go and pick up his belongings, shoving his hands in his pockets. As he walked, his thoughts were submerged, his ears only hearing the gentle tune he hummed under his breathe. It was exactly the one he had fallen asleep to the previous night and it made his face glow with contentment.

_Oh, Lacie, _He smiled, _Why do you have to be my enemy? Why couldn't things have been different and you hadn't been born a Baskerville or me a Vessalius. It's stupid we're suppose to hate each other like this._

Taking his cell phone out of his pocket to check his messages, he noticed he had one and stared at the huge touchable screen in surprised expectation, opening it. It was from Alice. Jack blinked curiously.

_Heads up, Romeo. _It read, _Sharon and Break are on a psycho mission looking for you_. _Something to do with Oz being abnormally cheerful._

By the sounds of things, Jack's prediction from last night had come true, then. The blond let out a chuckle. So…Sharon _had _gotten curious by Oz's overly happy attitude this morning and she _had_ gone into investigator mode, just like he'd assumed she would. By the looks of things, they had assumed Alice was the culprit. Jack couldn't decide what was more amusing; that they had thought Alice capable of giving Oz such an expression, or that they were coming after him next. Those two… They always seemed to assume he knew everything about Oz's private life just because they were related -To give them credit, they were right more often than not, but that was beside the point. The way they made it out, it was as if he was almost as bad a stalker as they were. I wasn't good for his image in the least bit.

Heading down a flight of stairs and turning a sharp corner, Jack was greeted by a hoard of screaming sophomores and freshmen girls, all looking at him with adoration and clustering in cute little fan girl groups, their eyes bright and sparkly.

"Oh my god!" One of them cried excitedly, "It's Jack-sama! Good afternoon, Jack-sama!"

"Good afternoon." The blond waved politely, earning a dozen squeals of happiness. "How is everyone today?"

"Good!" They all cheered in unison, "But not nearly as perfect as you, Jack-sama!"

Jack gave them a pretty smile, carrying on to his destination as a soft thud sounded behind him. He was pretty sure at least one of them fainted, if not more of them. Then again, there was always one. There always had to be the odd girl that got caught in her own fantasies and held her breathe so long she would pass out. There was just no getting around it, it was a regular hazard. It would have been cruel to ignore them, though, and not give them anything to be happy about. If they were really so pleased to see him, Jack saw no point in denying them what they wanted. A kind word here and there, a smile too. It gave them something to be pleased with themselves over, so why not?

Heading down the corridor, Jack stopped abruptly when he saw the figure of a woman he knew all too well and had been trying to avoid. Vanessa was walking in the direction he was standing but she looked distracted, her gaze focussed on something out of the window, so she hadn't seen him yet. Jack was in luck for once! Her short ebony hair was swaying gently around her face and she was smoothing the pristine flow of her cobalt skirts subconsciously, the heels of her boots the only thing telling the blond she was still angry. Doing a complete u-turn, the oldest Vessalius headed back to his fans, placing a finger over his lips to signal to them they had to be quiet. They complied with determined, childish looked upon their faces, fighting their need to smile and giggle and screech. Some looked fit to burst and he feared any minute she would have lift off and be shooting off like some kind of rocket from the pressure, the corners of their lips twitching uncontrollably.

"Ladies, would you mind if I stand with you for a few moments and blend in? I'm trying to hide from someone."

They all shook their heads in collective agreement, staring nervously as Jack scanned the heads for a girl similar to his height -he knew there had been one there somewhere, he had noticed on in particular. Glancing back to the Nightray approaching, he made an effort to hurry, reaching behind him and pulling free the ribbon from his hair, allowing the long braid to unwind and the golden strands to flow down his back and shoulders, covering his face. Mingling in with a tall girl at the back of the bundle with coppery pigtails, Jack gave her a wink, putting a finger to his lips. She flushed scarlet, her lashes dropping to her boots with a nod.

"So, what's your name, princess?" He whispered to her.

The girl in question blinked at the oldest Vessalius, in total shock. His voice was so soft and lovely, like velvet that sent her mind reeling. She tried to answer the question but only disjointed vowel sounds came out of her mouth, making him smile even more.

"K-Karin, Jack-senpai." She finally managed, crimson blossoming all the way to her hairline. Her eyes were burning holes in the ground from fear of looking up and falling apart in the emerald gaze above.

"That's a beautiful name." Jack breathed, "I just hope your friend's won't hate you after this, Karin-chan."

Abruptly, the senior wrapped his arms around the stunned Karin, ensuring his back was to the dark-haired girl that was patrolling past their group. The red-head recognised the girl as Vanessa-senpai and wondered why Jack-senpai could possibly be hiding from her. Karin knew the Nightray girl was renowned for being harsh and strict, but weren't all of them? They were a family of brawlers, known to be as rouge as the Rainsworths were gossipers -it was only natural that when she walked past the air immediately ran cold and made all the girls shiver. Her heels felt like knives with each clack, making everyone wince and shrink back as far as possible, protecting their precious blond angel from this maniacal woman.

"_Baka_. Where the hell could he have gone…?" Vanessa grumbled, storming past them and up the stairs at the end of a hall, disappearing from view. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief at her leave, relaxing a tad.

"Um…Jack-senpai?" The red head said after a few silent moments and death glares from her friends "Vanessa-senpai is gone now."

Reluctant to tell the older male the truth but knowing she must out of terror the rest of the blonde's fans would tear her limb from limb, Karin was sad to feel his arms uncoil from her frame. The warm breath that had been delved into the crook of her neck disappeared, replaced by a sudden coolness as Jack pulled away from his shield. He noted absentmindedly that almost every set of eyes seemed to be directed on Karin and they looked simply murderous. He chuckled internally. Girls could sometimes be so unreasonable over the smallest things.

Breaking off his contact with the squealing troupe he waved them goodbye. "Thanks for the help, girls. I really appreciate it." Jack said, giving them his most devastating smile that he knew was bound to have broken a couple of hearts along the way. Turning on his heel, the blonde headed off back in the direction he'd been heading, scaling the length of the hallway in only a few moments, entering the music room swiftly and silently. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he spun around to find the gossip queen herself and her little minion awaiting him, comfortable and smiling away. Sharon-chan was seated in front of a grand ivory piano -consequently the same one Jack had played the keys of thousands of times in the later afternoons to occupy the time- relaxed with her hands in her lap in one of the throne-like parlour chairs. Break was beside her, as was usual, leaning against the same said piano. Jack blinked at them for a moment before grinning contentedly, filling his expression with warmth and cheerful banters.

"Sharon-chan, Break-kun." He greeted them, "I see you found my hiding place after all then. It's nice to see you both."

Sharon-chan tilted her head in the most adorable expression possible. "Good afternoon, Jack-chan. Yes, well, Break and I figured that you'd be in here if you were hiding from Vanessa. This room is the only place in the entire school that you seem to be in when you're not out of school."

Jack chuckled, "I guess I can't deny that one. Luckily for me I already knew you'd be paying me a visit -Alice gave me an advanced warning. You're here because of something to do with Oz, right?"

"Yep." Sharon-chirruped, "Are we that easily thwarted?"

"You saying it like that makes us feel predictable." Break giggled into the long sleeves of his sky-blue jacket.

Jack chuckled. "No, that's not what I mean in the least. You two couldn't be predictable. What has my brother said to you to pique your interest this time?"

"Oh, it wasn't what he said." Sharon-chan told him, fanning herself with a paper fan she's pulled from the inside of her dress. "The smile on his face was good enough."

"Ah…" The blond sighed, walking around the wannabe journalist and her comrade, gesturing to the piano. "May I?"

Break chortled, backing away from the huge instrument and taking his rest against the far wall instead. He'd drawn a pen and paper pad out of nowhere and had it as the ready, prepared for the coming grilling that was sure to happen. Sliding his fingers over the notes, the senior stole a glance in Sharon's direction and she nodded supportively, motioning that he should continue. With that, Jack began to play, filling the room with smooth liquid song and a harmoniously soothing melody. He had no need to concentrate really. The tune he was recreating was one he knew more clearly than any other. It was the same lullaby that was fixed into his mind and passed through his lips as many times as it did through the lips of the girl he loved. It was for that reason he had come to name it "Lacie", which she had found greatly amusing.

"Are you wanting to ask me questions, Sharon-chan?" Jack asked her. She just giggled a girly laugh. "Off the record?" He confirmed and the younger girl nodded, still consumed by her bemusements. "Alright then. Ask away."

"What happened with Oz last night?"

The oldest Vessalius smiled. "What do you mean?"

"What _oujo-sama_ means, is why is he so happy all of a sudden? Oz might be cheerful, but nobody beams like the Cheshire cat without cause." Break clarified.

"Does he have a girlfriend?" Sharon-chan shot at him, making Jack's smile even more.

_Oh, Sharon-chan. How weird is it that you haven't even realised yet that your own best friend is gay? Everyone else knows, all except you. I know, Alice knows, obviously Gilbert knows… I'd even be willing to bet Ada knows. Break has to suspect…something tells me he's not completely ignorant, even if he is a clown. _

"No." Jack said confidently, "He doesn't."

"Then what could it be…" Sharon pondered, "I mean…I asked Oz and he said it was a secret he was keeping because of someone else. This person he means obviously wasn't Alice, because she was with you. Hmm…"

Watching Sharon try and unravel the mystery in her head was somewhat amusing. She was immersed in so much concentration and a clear-cut fierce need to find the truth. She was determined to the point of insanity and Jack knew that unless he gave her something, she'd just sit there and try pry the answers she sought from his lips. Abruptly, the senior stopped playing and turned in his chair to face his interrogator, crossing one leg over the other and resting his head back into his hands. He realised at that moment that his hair was still loose. He hadn't re-plaited it yet. Running pale fingers through the shimmering locks, Jack was a little surprised when Sharon cupped a hand over his, pulling a thick segment into her palm.

"How long have you been walking around with your hair down without realising, Jack-chan? It's enough to make a girl jealous."

The blond contemplate that for a moment with a tender smile. "What can I say? It's part of my charm."

"Do you want me to plait it for you?" She asked, pulling free a comb from her handbag that was pastel pink and decorated with glittery hearts. The senior nodded, putting his back to her. Jack was grateful. Curling his ribbon into the girl's waiting palm, he budged along and allowed her to tame the unruly strands with smooth and luscious strokes, weaving them back together they way they were supposed to be.

"There have been too many people angry with me recently." The blond stated. "The last thing I want is to add another to the list, especially if it's that idiot brother of mine. He probably wouldn't blow this over like normal."

Sharon sat stunned, quickly and efficiently winding. "So you know what happened to Oz?"

"Of course." Jack chuckled, "Don't I always, Sharon-chan?"

The girl arched an eyebrow at his teasing, but her gaze had grown suddenly more intense, more deliberate. The lioness had clearly found her prey and had her eyes well fixated on the juicy morsel of information Jack hid within. She leaned in, dropping the braid she had completed, newly secured with a bow.

"Well, pray-tell." She encouraged.

The senior let her stir for a few moments more before deciding. He guessed he could point her in the right direction, if nothing else. It wasn't going to do any harm just by a tiny hint, now was it? Besides, the reaction of her finding out about Oz was bound to be a moment worth remembering, when the guilty party spilled his guts. He was sure the caramelette would never see this coming, and it would make her discovery all the more intriguing to the audience. Propping his elbow on the top of the instrument wood, Jack rested his chin in his hand, a flirtatious smirk alighting his eyes with a playful glow.

"Sharon-chan, tattle-tailing on my younger brother is too mean. I'm afraid I'm going to keep it to myself," The girl's face fell, "H_owever_-" The oldest Vessalius raised a finger before sound could escape Sharon's lips, the pretty coral mouth of hers forming a delicate _O _when her eyes re-sparked with hope_. _He winked subtly. "-I'm not _completely_ half-hearted, so I will tell you something. If you truly want answers…then I think you should talk to Gilbert."

"Gilbert?" Break questioned. "The Nightray boy?" He cocked his head to the side in a curious manner. They all knew who he meant. After all, it was hardly difficult _not_ to know. The boy in question was renown for his aim, being the school archery champion a few years in a row and nicknamed the notorious Raven. He seemed to only bring bad luck to his fellow competitors when they attempted to outmatch his skills.

The blonde nodded, his smile twitching and threatening to go manic. _Oh, deary me. Forgive me, Gilbert, but this is just going to be too hilarious. The strong and mighty Raven blushing and squirming like a girl. I might just have to do my own form of interrogation on Break-kun later for the sake of my own curiosity of how you handing it, and more importantly, how Sharon-chan took it. A guy has to amuse himself somehow._ "Just trust me. What you want to know is with him. He'll solve the mystery for you, providing you can get him to talk."

"Oh, he'll talk." Break said, a dark and menacing resolve darkening his crimson gaze as the pencil darted across the pages rapidly, recording this new found intel. "Me and _oujo-sama_ have our ways."

"I have no doubts, Break-kun." Jack agreed, "I have no doubts whatsoever."

Sharon gave a childish giggle, contemplating her next move.

* * *

><p><em>SharonBreak_

Scurrying along the halls after lunch, Sharon wondered exactly what Jack had meant that morning by that strange look on his face when he had told them to question Gilbert. Something in his eyes had been almost daring, and she hadn't missed it. I was almost as if he was plotting something while _she_ was plotting, which was sort of disturbing. Jack was always carefree and never really hesitated to give up the information he had. It was one of the reasons Sharon had come to rely on him so readily as an informant. He didn't really seem to bother much about helping or hindering others. He was just true to himself, which the caramelette though was a bit strange.

"You know, Jack never ceases to amaze me." She confessed to her albino comrade, whom was sat on a desk licking the frosting from his cupcake off of his fingers.

"I think you mean confuse you, perhaps, _oujo-sama_." Break corrected her with a giggle, popping his finger into his mouth.

Sharon joined in with his laugher. "I guess you're right. He is a little odd though. How can he be so nice and yet…well, it may just be me, but I get the feeling that Jack-sama could be a completely different person if he wanted to -colder, maybe and slightly darker. He reminds me of a comic book antihero."

"Coming from you?" He questioned with an arched eyebrow.

Sharon swatted Break over the head with her fan. "You shouldn't say things like that about a lady, Break-kun. That was _meeeeeaaaaaannnnn_."

Break gave another chortle at her girly, anguished expression, tossing the remains of his lunch in the trash whilst rubbing his head. Sometimes, _oujo-sama_ could just be so adorable, it was hard to believe she was sixteen years old and not ten years her junior. Flipping through his notes, the albino too tried to distinguish the true goal behind Jack-sama's actions. They were truly a mystery, though Break suspected he was in it to gain a hidden amusement. Jack and Oz were similar in that way -both had an unbelievable way of -unbeknownst to the victim- manipulating others into doing things for them without actually resorting to undesirable outcomes. They had ways of getting around things and getting what they wanted with just charm and kind words alone. It was a skill that no matter how many times Break watched it in motion, he still couldn't understand how fluidly and quickly it happened. The tables always seemed to turn in Jack's favour the moment he opened his mouth, unless it concerned Vanessa. That Nightray was too stubborn to hear the words he spoke or listen to his excuses so his tricks never had worked on her miraculously.

"I wonder what it is that Oz is hiding from us that's so important not even Jack will tell us."

Break smiled. "I don't have a clue, but if we follow Jack's lead then I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. After all, you never find the honey unless you allow the bee to lead you to it's hive."

Sharon giggled. "That is very true." She agreed. "Where is Gilbert-kun, though? I haven't seen him all day. Even at lunch, he didn't seem to be at our table like normal, talking to Oz. Them two are just so close it's cute -I can't believe I never thought about questioning him before Alice."

Then it clicked inside Break's head and his eye widened in surprise before falling into a narrowed and shadowed state, a smirk for the coming interrogation widening over his lips. _Them two are just so close it's cute._ The words rang true in his mind and he finally deciphered the double meaning in the oldest Vessalius' expression, running over his memories of all the times Break had seen the middle child and his dark-haired friend together. Yes…they were close…too close for your average relationship, would you not think?

_So that is what you were trying to hide from us…_

He couldn't hold back that bubbles of laughter that escalated from him, dissolving them into his long sleeves.

"I have a feeling this is going to be very interesting…"

Sharon heard her friend amusing himself out of the corner of her eyes, but she didn't question him. He was often inside his own head, finding entertainment in his own thoughts, so she left him to them and continued, never hearing his mumbled comment.

"Well, never mind. We can always find him now and correct that issue. So… does he have a class right now, Break-kun?"

The albino snapped back to attention, checking the pages of his notebook from the countless times he had observed the others. He'd watched their days hundreds of times; recorded their schedules, found their hobbies, even heard their darkest secrets whilst they had no clue. Locating the page he was searching for, Break scanned the scribbled writing, snapping the binding shut without warning.

"Nope." He said, "Right now, Gilbert-kun is completely free. From what I saw, he usually hangs around the gym and practices. It should be easy to track him down. As for him talking…" Break's eyes gleamed, "Did you happen to know, _oujo-sama_, that Gilbert-kun smokes?"

Sharon gasped dramatically, her eyes widening. "You don't say?"

Break nodded. "Mmhmm. At least ten per day and…according to my records, he's tried to quit seven times, all behind his family's back."

Sharon grinned. "Well now, smoking is forbidden on school grounds, not to mention that it stains your record if you get caught and the principal notes you for it."

"Perhaps we should remind him, hmm… Sharon-chan?"

The caramelette agreed, dusting any leftover crumbs off her dress and gathering up her things. Giving her cellphone a quick check, she almost gave in to the gnawing sensation within her to gush. Oz had send her a text message, reading; _Urgh…so bored. Can't wait for the end of class…what you up to?_

_All will become clear Oz-kun, _The girl tittered internally, _Just you wait until I get this scoop._

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><p><em>GilbertSharon/Break_

Taking in a sharp breathe, an arm wrapped in dark leather swiftly drew back, widening the breadth of the Raven's chest and tightening the smooth, liquid muscles of his back. It did wonders for his rounded shoulders, emphasizing the toned curves and brandishing the strength locked within all the more. Gilbert's fingers brushed the soft and delicate speckled quills of his arrow, narrowing his golden eyes and locking onto his target a good fifty feet before him sat in a stool. The string was released suddenly, the shaft propelling rapidly towards it's intended destination with the force of a bus, breaking the surface of the target and running all the way through in the very centre of the bull's-eye. Brushing wavy blue-black locks away from his face, he let out a sigh, elegantly reached for another arrow and positioning it in his bow. Just as quick as before, he shot it directly after the other, watching as it reduced it's predecessor to splinters and splaying ribbons of beech. A soft clap sounded behind him, making him jump. Gilbert's head whipped around, amber gaze widening in surprise. He lowered his bow, a nervous curl twisting in his stomach.

_Sharon Rainsworth, _He realised, taking in the petite and pretty girl standing in the grand entrance of the gym, her hands cupped together and her lovely features a mask of contented intrigue. _And Xerxes Break as well, _Gilbert noticed, noticing the white-haired teen that backed her. His was grinning wildly, making Gil feel slightly blue and wary. He was sure he wasn't going to like whatever was coming his way.

"Good afternoon, Sharon-san." He nodded to her, "Xerxes-san, as well. Are you here searching for someone? If you were looking for Echo, Xerxes-san, then she isn't here and neither is Vincent." _Luckily_, Gilbert added silently, breathing a sigh of relief. It had been hard enough hiding from his younger brother last night when he'd snuck out of Oz's room. It had been almost impossible this morning. Sometime Gil wondered why he even bothered trying to avoid his crazed sibling, he always seemed to find him no matter what.

Sharon giggled, "We're not here for Echo-chan, Gilbert-kun." Pulling a paper fan from a location that caused the Raven to flush bright crimson and look away, he noted absentmindedly that she begun fanning herself with it, her once tender and friendly smile turning to a sickly sweet smirk. Her magenta eyes disappeared under her caramel bangs, giving her expression a menacing shadow that sent shivers and bolts of warning up Gilbert's spine. Gil knew exactly what was coming when her face turning this way. Oz had told him all about her different personalities and how easily they came to pass. The original Sharon-chan at the start was on pause right now, replaced by her ruling, no-nonsense inner Princess. He gulped, wishing that he had gotten her over-gushing girly side instead. Jeez…she was as bad as Echo, but without the bipolar. Both of them bad a dual personality and Gil was sure it had something to do with her hanging with that insufferable clown -He guessed Echo couldn't help being a part of Break, they were twins, but Sharon had no excuse other than her own insanity.

"We are here for you." Sharon told him, that sour tremor of her voice coming through and turning her voice bittersweet.

Gilbert jumped back in terror, beads of perspiration rolling down the back of his neck. Goosebumps raised on his arms, freezing him to the cool and his eyes were the size of dinner plates. "M-me? W-what d-did I d-do?"

Sharon-chan sauntered over to the dark-haired boy, distantly reminding him of his scarier older sibling Vanessa, the heels of her boot clicking across the ground in a sexy, dangerous rhythm. She was practically chest to chest with him when she came to a halt, flicking a finger under his chin and pulling his face to hers, brushing her lips with his ears as she lowered him to her level. Gilbert was shivering, his face a ferocious tomato shade. "It's bad to smoke on school ground, Gilbert-kun." She whispered to him in that same devilish angelical voice dripping in venomous loveliness "I wonder, what would your family think if they discovered you were breaking the rules like that? Hmmm? What do you think? Do you think the principal would brush it off just because of your status?"

Gilbert's face bleached immediately at her words, all form of red dying on the spot and turning ghastly pale, fear almost making his heart stop as his breath caught in his throat and stayed there, choking him.

"Sh-Sharon-s-san?" He stuttered, "Y-you w-wouldn't…"

The raven-haired boy felt a smirk widen against his ear. "Truth is a dangerous thing, Gilbert-kun. It's a simple matter of business. " She told him, "If you help me then I might just endeavour to keep your little secret to myself. Do you feel like answering some questions, Nightray-san?"

"Q-questions? W-what kind of q-questions? I-I don't know anything."

Sharon giggled, pulling back. Lifting her head once more, her eyes sparked, the beautiful pale pink colouring coming back as she clapped her hands together excitedly, suddenly squealing like a happy toddler.

"It's settled then!" She chirruped, grappling Gilbert's arm without warning and dragging him off out of the gym. An exclaim of surprise blew from his lips but he allowed himself to be pulled, preferring this Sharon over the other. All she had requested was that he answer her questions, right? Surely they couldn't be all that bad…could they? They were just questions after all…

They took the Nightray to the newspaper club main office, still holding and clasped in his training gear, brace and all, setting him down into a seat. Sharon skipped ahead, elegantly pushing herself onto a desk cheerfully, swinging her legs and staring at Gilbert with a bright curiosity and intensity. The nerves that had accumulated and the racing heart this girl had struck him with still remained, making him feel slightly frazzled.

"Sh-Sharon-san…"

The girl gave a happy giggle, a pink and fluffy pen appearing in her hands along with a shiny notepad covered in magenta glitter flowers.

"Now…" She started, smiling, "Can you tell us where you were last night? I want all the details -who you were with…what you were doing…everything."

Gilbert's eyes widened in surprise, his mouth forming a small _O_ of shock. Beetroot colour flushed his cheeks when he remembered exactly what he _had_ been doing last night, and with whom.

"I-uh-I was-It was…I…um…" He stuttered nervously, pushing his index fingers together to try and occupy his hands, which were becoming slick with perspiration and terror. He'd allowed his blue-black hair to fall in his face in a bid to mask his embarrassment. "I-uh- I wasn't with anyone…last night…"

Sharon leaned in, tapping her pen to her chin with an arched eyebrow. She was definitely far from convinced. Gil attempted to clear his throat and look at her, but the moment their eyes met, he found himself dropping his lashes again in shame. He loved Oz, he really did, with everything that existed within him, but this girl was known for gossiping -if his family were to find out he was gay, it would ruin him. If this leaked into the school then you could be sure he'd never live it down, not ever -his parents would throttle him for giving them a bad name. The Nightray line was strong and rebellious -they fought their own battles and never let anyone walk all over them. They would never be able to walk out of their door if Gilbert was ever his true self. Someone as sensitive and emotional as him could never match up to his brothers and his overpowering leader of a sister. They'd be immaculately furious if they knew that on top of that, he was dating a Vessalius. Since Oz had been sent away to the Abyss the family had received nothing but bad pressed and a downhill reputation. The Vessalius family were enemies of the Nightrays. Gilbert would be doomed.

"I-I was in the gym…training…" He repeated, trying to sound more firm but finding his voice was turning all the more wobbly.

Sharon's other eyebrow perked up and she glanced back at her partner, who was leaning against the door patiently, his arms folded across his chest with a bemused light in his red eye. Very slightly Break shook his head and somehow that gripped Gilbert with more terror than ever. Turning back to her victim, the caramelette's eyes flashed.

"Training?" She asked, "What for? There aren't any up coming competitions."

A bead of icy sweat dripped down the side of Gilbert's head. "I-it was just g-general p-practice. I-I'm not supposed to slack o-off."

Sharon made an intrigued sound under her breathe and she jotted something down in her pad. "Gilbert-kun, do you have a girlfriend, by any chance?"

The Raven's eyes widened a little more. "I-uh…" The blush on his face grew, stretching all the way up to his hairline. "No. No, I don't."

"Hmm…" Sharon pondered.

"What about a boyfriends, perhaps?" Break slid in slyly with a chuckle.

Sharon whipped her head around in surprise to her comrade and missing the miniature catastrophe that occurred behind her as a result of the horror Gilbert felt shoot inside him the moment those words left the albino's lips. His face bleached pure white, the legs of his chair skidding out from under him in his attempt to scuffle away in shock and falling over (said teen currently still sat on the seat) with an audible _crash_. A yelp escalated into the room.

"W-w-what d-did y-you s-say?" He twitched, scrapping his heels over the ground and backing up against the wall. Break giggled into his sleeve, staring at the boy with a definite amusement.

"Break-kun?" Sharon questioned. "Are you implying Gilbert-kun is gay?"

"T-that's r-ridiculous!" Gilbert squeaked, his voice jumping up an octave at least. "I-I am not…gay…" He mumbled guiltily. Just by denying what he knew was the obvious truth, it felt like he was betraying his lover somehow, lying. The Raven pushed his index finger together, shielding his face with a mop of dark waves so the wannabe journalists wouldn't see the shame and the nervous upset making his golden eyes shimmer, tears threatening to spill over.

A gentle hand touched his chin, tilting his face up to look into the delicate and soft features of the youngest Rainsworth child. As bad as her reputation was, Gilbert could still see some form of understanding in her magenta gaze, some form of comfort.

"It's alright, Gilbert-kun. There's nothing to be ashamed about. Just because your family would absolutely annihilate you, disinherit and possibly even disown you so you are nothing but a mere orphan without the funds to even buy some bread, you shouldn't feel glum."

Gilbert could somehow feel a blue haze washing over his face at her pep talk, and the horror in his stomach building to an extent close to almost hyperventilation with every added word.

_I shouldn't feel glum…you know because everything you just said is the absolute quintessence of happiness._

He gave an internal groan, tears pouring like waterfalls in his head.

"I mean, it's not as if having a ruined reputation is the end of the world…"

Gilbert could feel his eyebrow slowly twitch in dismay.

"As long as you're happy, who needs friends and a judgemental family, right, Gilbert-kun?"

Gil let out a nervous stutter of a laugh.

"So…" Sharon smiled, painting her face with a devilish look, "Given that has been cleared up, who _is_ your boyfriend?"

"_I just told you I wasn't gay…_" He mumbled under his breathe, _I know it's a lie but I at least hoped _they'd_ believe it. I'm screwed, that its, I'm officially screw. My life is over now the queen of gossip knows everything._

"A certain blond bishonon we know, perhaps?" Break offered, rattling off Oz's personality traits easily, "Giddy, cheerful, bratty, charming-"

Sharon giggled, "My, my, that sounds a lot like-" The caramelette cut herself off and her eyes grew wide, her perfect and beautiful shell pink lips puckering into a gently _O_. "…Oz." She finished, her brows pulling together when she saw the red on Gilbert's face become all the more vivid. Panic was surfacing in his amber eyes, panic and embarrassment overlaying as one and forging one big blatant look of terror. The poor Raven looked as if he were about to die any second, his visage cracked to the limits and leaving him open and raw.

Break destroyed the silence with a chuckle. "You sound surprised, _oujo-sama_." He commented, "Didn't you know?"

Sharon opened her mouth to answer, a vein popping out on her forehead as she drew her paper fan once more from a place Gilbert didn't even want to look at. She looked like she was threatening violence, not that her partner was noticing, considering he appeared to be taking everything in his stride. However, her actions were halted the moment a new set of sounds began to fill the air, echoing all around the room and causing her to glance in the direction of the Raven once more. A fast and upbeat tune was playing, alighting the tense atmosphere.

"_Gogo no hikari Madoromu omaeno yokogao_ (Afternoon light shines on your sleeping face)

_Nani wo kakushi Nani wo mamorou to shiterunda?_ (What are you hiding? What are you trying to protect?)

_Wasurenai sa, Shinjirumono wo Nakushita_ (I won't forget, I've lost things I believed in)

_Ore no kokoro wo toki hogusu Itoshii hohoemi"_ (That beloved smile which soothes my heart.")

Drawing forth the small, vibrating and flashing object from his pocket, Gil checked the caller ID on the flashy touch screen, his eyes widening a fraction and a nervous bead of sweat rolling down his brow. The curious audience that were watching him looked on with raised eyebrows when an black eyebrow began to twitch and the Raven gritted his teeth, his expression hesitant.

"Aren't you going to answer that, Gilbert-kun?" Sharon asked

The dark-haired boy glanced up, his gaze flickering between the device and his onlookers. "I-it's not important." He dismissed, attempting to slide the ringing object back into his jacket. However, he never managed to achieve his goal, for one minute it was in his hand and the next, it was across the other side of the room in the claws of a certain carmellette. Said wannabe-journalist had a face of deep thought and menacing amusement alighting her fuscia eyes whilst she herself stared down at the screen.

"Sh-Sharon-san!" Gilbert stuttered, knowing she was seeing exactly when he had been attempted to hide. "P-please give that back!"

The girl just grinned in that bittersweet way she did, a challenge sparking and daring him to come over and retrieve his belongings. Gilbert sighed, lowering himself back onto the ground, submitting, feeling his stomach plummet with grief and panic. Upon seeing the boy wasn't going to attempt to quell her plans, Sharon answered the phone call calmly, using her most sweet and innocent voice.

"_Moshi moshi, _Oz-kun. This is Gilbert-kun's cellphone."

There was a pause, leaving Sharon wondering if she had answered it in time. Said owner looked as if he were about to have a breakdown, that or pass out. It was hard to tell when Gilbert-kun was so white and depressed like that. Anyone would think that some great secret had been spilled. Sharon giggled internally, making a mental note that she would have to get her revenge on Oz eventually for having never told her about his sexuality. It just wasn't _fair_ he kept secrets like that from her. Her -Oz-kun's best friend since the beginning of high school years back -way before the all that haphazard chaos to do with the Abyss a few months back. They'd been friends so many years now that their bond had seemed inseparable. Damn that charming blonde. Luckily for him, he hadn't hung up and indeed spoke up.

"Hey, Sharon-chan. What are you doing with Gil's cellphone? Did he drop it or something?"

"Oh, no. No, he didn't." The carmellette assured her friend with a giggle. "He's just didn't seem to want to answer so I offered to do it for him."

Another pause. "Oh…I see…Where is Gilbert-kun, Sharon-chan?"

"He's right here." She replied cheerfully, "But, now that I seem to have you on line right here, there's something I want to talk to you about…"

Gilbert watched in distain as Sharon-san unleashed a cunning and creepy tale about her morning's events including a detailed description of her interviews with certain unnameable 'sources' all spinning from the tiny and suspicious fact Oz had been a little more cheerful than usual. Gilbert could feel his jaw falling that much lower to the ground and his eyes gaining an inch to the circumference of his eyeballs with every passing minute and every fact he listened to that added to the confession. From what was said, Oz questioned these 'sources' a few times, but Sharon gave nothing away about whom they were, only giggling and saying they would be her _little secrets_. Then, as if to only add to the horror, she went and straight out asked Oz the question they evil duo had managed to guess plainly on their own (or rather, Break had) out of their own knowledge, something they also consequently blamed on their 'source'. Gilbert craned his neck and felt his lashes become damp when there was no reply on the blonde's end of the line mumbling through, the breathe in his lungs catching and making his chest all tight. Suddenly, the newspaper club leader's eyes grew and she crossed one leg over the other atop the table, looking more intrigued than ever. Gil wished so much he could hear what Oz was saying. He felt as if his soul would shoot right out of his body any second.

"Really?" The girl gasped, "You don't say? And how does that work?" She gave a few nods to herself, her lips parting. "Oh my…so that means last night you were…?"

Gilbert felt his heart stop. _God no…please don't tell me he's telling her about _that_….Please, no…_

Sharon sucked in breath giddily, her eyes sparkling. "No!" She breathed, "Seriously?…he was, was he? I'll bet…hmm…interesting…No wonder you were pleased with yourself…" She gave a giggle.

_Please let me die, _the Raven begged, _please let me just die so I don't have to face this psycho girl after this…_

He shoved his head in his hands, drawing his knees to his chest, a giant blue cloud wavering over his form in misery. _Why can't anything ever stay a secret here in this school…?_

Sharon was aware that slowly but surely, the dark-haired teen before her had turned into some kind of emotional wreck, glaring at her with silent pleas and prayers, almost begging. Pitifully, she hadn't been able to oblige to his wishes. She'd just had to know from Oz the real truth and complete her mission. Apparently, Oz had been meaning to tell her, when he'd reached a proper solid ground with his boyfriend (who was in fact, Gilbert, after all, much to the boy's chagrin -apparently, this had to stay on the down low, because his parent's would never approve) but he just hadn't found the time nor the words to explain. Sharon had needed to assure the boy it was quite alright and that she was quite pleased for him, if for herself as well for being able to proclaim she had a _gay best friend. _It was the teenager girl's dream, wasn't it? Oz had quite ego so hadn't skimped out on the detail with his best friend either, telling her every little thing and willing to explain everything without hesitation. They say you learn something new everyday and Sharon could safely say after that conversation, she had learned many things. Many useful and _resourceful_ things, especially for personal and private use. She giggled at the thought of Break's reaction should she ever try any of the things the blond boy offered to her. Something told it might possibly be the only time in her existence she might see genuine shock in her partner, debating with herself a time suitable to put such a plan into action.

_Operation: Oz's Secret complete! Well…that's pretty much my work done for the day then._

Giving a smile at nobody in particular, Sharon felt contented for once, wondering just where Oz was while he was taking this call and what he had been calling Gilbert about after all…

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><p><em>Oz<em>

Closing shut his cellphone with a sigh, Oz took in a deep breath of fruity, sweet spring air, watching the petals of cherry blossom trees float by past his cheeks and brush them tenderly. That had certainly been different that what he had intended. When the blond had resolved to checking up on his lover he hadn't expected that lovely and familiar female voice to answer at all. No matter now. The secret was out, not that the boy had really thought it would stay secret. He knew Sharon-chan too well, _way_ to well. He'd known the very second he'd left her in that library that she would have been diving for her own cellphone, arranging her own coop mission to discover the mystery he'd presented before her. Oz also knew who the likely 'sources' of hers were -they tended to be the same amusing victims: Alice, his brother, his sister, Gilbert, even Break's twin; Echo, if necessary. She was just that kind of girl. The blond sighed, letting it all pass without a bother. None of it -his sexuality; the forbidden nature of his partnership with Gil; the glares of the Nightray family members and their rumour spreading tendencies- none of it really mattered, because he was happy for once. He was contended with life and he felt on top of the world, embrace in the love of his boyfriend and the cherished hearts of his friends. As long as he had those things, he knew nothing else was a problem. He'd deal with it when it came around.

Kicking his feet over the lip of the fountain and shoving his frame away to straddle down the gravel courtyard, his head was tipped up to the sky feeling the warmth on his face, and the gentle cool of the wind where the silky strands of his hair tickled his jaw line. Yes, to Oz, it was hard to imagine anything that might bring him down, but then again, he knew he should have been on better alert. Usually when these types of things happened and he felt good, something would always try to dampen his spirits.

His fingers tightened instinctively on the strap of his messenger bag as an alien tingling started in the back of his mind. It was a niggling sensation that was warning him something was wrong. It was the kind of feeling that made you stop and think, perhaps head back to your room to shrug it off. Of course, on such a sunny and lovely afternoon, nothing should have been wrong at all. That was what Oz tried to tell himself, pushing away all his worries as soon as they dared enter his thoughts. He wandered free of the school gates using Alice's spare key and out onto a patch of greenery when he knew an ivory stone bridge stood, a kind of raised hallway made completely of white columns and twined in vines of ivy and morning glory, like that of a temple corridor. Lumbering up a set of intricate stairs, Oz wandered through it's length, listening to the wondrous flecks of life and motion that fluttered near him. Birds gave tender chippers and there was a faint rustling from some trees. The blond paused near the end. He stopped and took the time to lean against one of the cylindrical structures and sighed, his eyes roaming eternally to the centre of the beautiful meadow. Contented emerald eyes fell upon the main centrepiece that sat in the middle of the space; a magnificent golden crucifix like that of a gravestone. For some reason it had always filled the teen with a strange curiosity to stare at it because nobody knew what it actually meant. It had once been engraved with writing but that was long gone now. No matter who tried they could make neither head nor tail of what was there. It was a mystery not even Sharon-chan could solve.

Oz chuckled under his breath at his previous thought, pulling his cell phone out to check if he had any messages. He didn't, so he slid the phone back to it's original location and checked the time instead. It was almost the end of school time and he knew he'd have to head back to his dorm soon or else risk getting locked out by the Chains. The key in his hand jingled. He had gotten it from Alice, yet in truth, it was actually his brother, Jack's. He'd most likely given it to the girl so he could sneak out and meet his girlfriend, considering the gate could only be opened and closed from the inside. Oz would have to remember to give it back to him at some point. Contemplating how fun that would be, tracking the popular senior to his music room hideout, the youngest Vessalius was moderately surprised when he heard the crunching of gravel and that it seemed to be getting louder until it disappeared entirely, replaced by the swishing of grass and then the clopping of boots on ashen stone. Lifting his head a little, his eyes widened to stunned orbs as he took in the gangly group of teens clustered before him -a group of about four, two being girls and the other two boys. They were dressed in uniforms, but they completely different to the one that coated _this_ boy's skin. This clothing was the colour of blood or wine -a shock crimson- in the style of blazers instead of jackets and trousers (or extremely tiny skirts paired to black thigh-high socks and pumps in the girl's cases) with ties upon dark shirts or blouses. Oz took in mostly the girl that seemed to be the leader of the group and was predominantly at the front. Her hair was a shock pink, curled up behind her head and a dark, ugly smirk curled her lips. The crest on her breast was extremely visible from where Oz stood.

It was a regal image of sorts, menacing in all it's a valour. Within the outline of a perfect diamond there rested an emblem of a sword bound in silver chains, a black bird sat atop it'd hilt.

Oz knew that symbol better than anyone and he felt fear grip his head, along with a determination and an anger.

_Baskervilles, _he cursed, _Of all the days for them to come here…_

The leader gave a grin, "Hello, Oz. Long time no see."

The blond gave a grimace, "Good afternoon…Charlotte."

How the hell would he get out of this one?

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><p><strong>Dun Dun DUN! The Baskervilles finally showed up to drag Oz back the the Abyss! What will happen I wonder...? ;) You peeps will have to review to find out hehehe. Next chapter: DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA! A fight breaks out at Pandora P. Academy?<br>**

**OHHHH! Just especially for you, my lovely readers, I have a very generous P/Q (Plot Question) for you: I'm thinking of perhaps putting some Yuri in this as it isn't popular in alot of the fanfics I've read, and also, it's mean to leave Alice all alone. I was going to do an AlicexEcho pairing and would really like to know your thought? Yess? No? Maybe? Whatever, just let me know please!  
><strong>

**Anyho, I hope you enjoyed that and hopefully the next chapter will be up soon****. However, I want to see more review people! No reviews, no story! It's as simple as that, so leave a note if you do so feel inclined, along with any questions and anything else you want to add.**

**Now, time for my E. (Extra Special Thankees)**:

**Zeni. S Master (Chibi Gilbert)**** - Thanks for the review, I really appreciate that you took the time to do that and am glad you are deciding to continue reading my antics. Hope this was worth it and you keep on reading.**

**Arochas - Thank you for the Favourite Story, I really appreciate it****. Here's me crossing my fingers and hoping this chappy was all you hoped and more. Keep reading!**

**Shinigamiryuk919**** - Thank you for the Favourite Story and the Story Alert. Here's another chapter for you and I hope it was worth it. Stay with me and I promise more action for you!**

**Thank you for all those who read the story but, an E.S.T to these people ^^^ *hands them cookies***


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Konbanwa! Good Evening from the UK! Luckily for you, my lovely readers, I have been on fire with this story so I have another chapter for you, fresh from my head! The chappy's no especially long BUT it does contain the fighting/violence goodness that I promised. Yes, indeed, there is a fight at Pandora P. Academy for our poor Oz, because I'm just that mean XD. Okay then, enough yappering. As always, this is an UNBETA-ED EDITION, as I still haven't gotten myself an editor for this yet (If you want the job, just PM me and let me know ASAP 'kay? I'll be happy to hear from you!) Gomen in advance for my bad grammer and** ** I hope ****you enjoy! Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts, it's characters or yada yada yada. All rights are to the magnificent Jun Mochizuki. My only claim is to this plot and the AU it's based in as well as any OCs that might/might not pop up along the way!  
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><p><span>Chapter 4<span>

_Oz  
><em>

_The blonde gave a grimace, "Good afternoon…Charlotte."_

Oz gritted his teeth. He'd felt that something had been off and he'd known -just _known-_ that it wouldn't be possible for him to have but a single day's happiness, uninterrupted. It was sort of crazy. He'd completely brushed off his paranoia and now it seemed, karma was getting it's own back, in the form of the Baskervilles. Reaching into his pocket for his cellphone, the teen weighted up what he chances were of him being able to call for help. They weren't good, but neither were the odds in front of him. Four against one -he'd never win.

Falling back a step, then perhaps another, the fear clutching his chest could only amplify. All of his nerves were on high alert, sparking and sending jolts up his spine like a live wire. One thought kept playing in his mind.

_This is not. This is _so_ not good._

"Look, guys, I don't wanna fight." Oz said in an attempt to quell the agitation and sadistic enthusiasm that burned in his enemy's gazes. All of them gave sarcastic chuckles.

"Really?" Charlotte asked, putting a finger to her lips before dropping it and leaning in. Her eyes were full of hatred, but at the same time, she was excited, the pretty magenta colour shining with anticipation. Her eyes narrowed, intensifying her look to something rather mocking. "Well, that's a shame, because we_ do_."

Oz leapt out of the way just in time as one of Charlotte's followers lunged for him -a pretty girl whom could have been no older than fourteen with short brown hair and blue eyes. She made for first strike, pulling a kick that was so high her underwear was clearly visible. The blond dodged expertly, curving his form around a stone cylinder quickly. However, his opponent was fast and Oz found himself ducking once more as another swipe was given, one after the other, and then again. Damn, she was fast! Oz circled her the best he could, trying to avoid her every attempt by doing what he could but he knew that the chances of him getting away from this were slim -he wasn't like Gil who had one of the best aim's around and knew just all the right spots to him. He wasn't like Alice, with her martial arts skills, capable of taking down the strongest of people. He was just…Oz. he _had_ no special skills, really, except his determination and he was sure as hell going to hold to _that_, if nothing else.

Avoiding another blow, the blond ducked behind the stone cross, having been drove to the centre already, taking a second to breath and do what he could. His hand whipped inside his messenger bag in a hurry, finger's clasping what he was looking for and drawing it forth. He turned, jumping to his feet in immaculate time.

"Extend!" Oz ordered the object, relieved when he felt it's cool circumference expand, lengthening to the span of a decent five or six foot and becoming warm in his hands. It met the girl's boot with a sharp _thwack_, narrowly stopping it from plummeting down on his head and knocking him unconscious. For a second, the eyes of his opponent went wide with shock, but they did not stay that way. Instead, the girl turned her features into a dark and deceptive grin, rapidly kicking her other leg up and catching the staff between her boots, twisting mid-movement.

Oz was send rolling, ripped off his feet and thrown onto his back. He hit the ground hard, seeing stars and feeling a little disorientated. It was enough that the girl got the upper hand and ended up atop the blond, her knees on either side of his waist. The youngest Vessalius fought for control, shoving up his weapon in defence -clearly the wrong move. The brunette giggled manically, planting her hands on the staff and pushing with all her might, forcing all her weight onto the metal. Oz's hands were shaking. She was strong, really, really strong and he was getting breathless from trying to hold her back. The staff was at his throat, being pressed down on his windpipe and leaving him gasping for air and he kicked desperately for some form of relief. Mustering all he could, he did the only thing he thought might work and flipped them, trading position with her suddenly. The girl gave a grunt, growling under her breath as the two proceeded to roll in the dirt, fighting the hold of the other. She clawed him and slashed, angry cuts welling on the blonde's pretty face and neck where they caught by her nails in a desperately bid to escape. Oz almost had her -she was going blue from the lack of oxygen in her lungs when he unexpected felt himself be hoisted off, brutally yanked by the scruff of his collar and cradled in a hold of concrete force, crushing his arms and sending shooting pains all the way up.

The blonde cried out in pain, losing his grip and dropping his weapon, listening with sinking in his heart when it clanged to the ground out of his reach.

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><p><em>Echo<em>

Echo watched the scene below play out with a sort of wonder, tilting her head this way and that. Fighting -it was such a pointless thing, especially when the one who _was_ fighting could _not_ fight. She could see the way it had taken it's toll on the boy and had been a little confused. What was the point? Why did he still fight? He couldn't win. He couldn't possible beat his enemy, and yet…

_Why?_

Echo felt as if she asked that question a lot and it only made her want to ask it all the more, because Echo was a good girl -Echo did as she was told and never asked questions of those who asked her to do things for them. It was a waste of time when she never got an answer that made sense.

_Pointless. Everything is always so pointless. People…they always do and say pointless things. Why?_

Dark rings had formed under the eyes of Oz Vessalius and his brow was pooling sweat, his chest heaving in and out heavily. Echo shifted in the tree she was sat in, trying to understand what drove the boy. Echo knew only what drove her -Echo did what she did because Vincent-sama told her to. That was what Echo was supposed to do and she would do nothing else, because it was not Vincent-sama's will. It was the only reason.

Drawing a notebook from within her uniform jacket -one that was plain and blank and blue, and an unmarked pen, she noted down what she was witnessing.

_3:56pm - Oz Vessalius is attacked by Baskervilles. Echo does nothing._

Echo's eyes travelled up her own baby-blue pages and she noticed that she had put that same last line beside every note. She cocked her head to the side and stared at it precariously. It seemed more like an order to herself than actual fact, though it was just so. She _had_ done nothing while she followed Oz Vessalius. Echo had just watched, like Vincent-sama had told her to, and she had written everything down, just like Vincent-sama had told her to. That last line though…Vincent-sama had not told Echo to write that -yet, she had.

_Why? Why did Echo do something so pointless?_

In true, Echo did not know, and it made her eyebrows furrow as she slid the journal back into her jacket and rose from her perch. She stood on the edge of a branch, hands interlaced behind her back and poised like a bird. Bending her knees and applying pressure, she pounced, gracefully gliding through the air in a series of figure-righting movements and landing behind huge figure of a male, muscular and broad with hair of a silvery-red. Her feet touched down elegantly without a jolt or a sway, in perfect balance and precision. She didn't know why she had jumped down the moment that the face of Oz Vessalius had changed. Why did it matter if he had his chin up or down, or if his eyes were light or dark? Yet…the moment they had become overcome in defeat, Echo had decided she couldn't watch anymore, because that too would become pointless, should Oz Vessalius become unwatchable. Echo didn't want to do pointless things, so had allowed her body to proceed without due thought, uncallously tossing herself into the point of danger, where the eyes of two others were upon her and they were glaring furiously.

_Echo will save this boy just once because he knows Alice, and only once. Alice is not like them, because she doesn't not say pointless things and says what she wants instead. Alice does not do pointless things because she doesn't care. Just for Alice… Echo will ignore Vincent-sama and she will help Oz Vessalius._

Bending elegantly to pick up the staff the blond had dropped, Echo clutched the cool and sturdy weapon in her tiny hands before she plunged it mercilessly into the foot of the burly teen holding Oz, achieving the reaction she had wanted. The boy yelped in pain, dropping his breathless victim instantaneously and rearing his head sharply in her direction, his eyes full or anger. They glowered at her, but Echo didn't care, using the weapon once more without a brief thought.

The metal connected with the silvery-crimson head with a satisfying _crack_, being twirled and manipulated expertly in said tiny hands. Echo's target went flying, a purpling bruise forming on his flesh as he collapsed, colliding with the ground some feet away, his eyes closed and unreasoning. The rest of the gangly bunch -a pink haired girl, another boy whom had a hood encasing his face and a shorter, more petite female had begun to regroup, the pink-haired one eyeing her fallen comrade hesitantly.

"Doug! Lily!" She barked sharply, her pink eyes darkening to brilliant red.

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><p><em>Oz<em>

Oz was gasping for air, clutching his chest and trying to clear his head. His vision was blurred and the edges were tinged with red and black and deep, deep lilac. Dragging himself to his feet, his thoughts were a muddle. Something had made the big guy holding him release his grip suddenly, so suddenly that he'd made the blond land in a rather agonising way, squealing in shock. His ribs were burning and his arm felt like it would be a huge eggplant-coloured mess by this time tomorrow. Blood still ran down the side of his face and speckled his shirt, dried in some places and just damp in others. Everything hurt. Oz had to get up though -he had to carry on and get through this. Those stupid Baskervilles were crazy if they thought he was just going to sit there and let them drag him away or hurt his friends. He wouldn't allow it. He could never allow, but…were his eyes betraying him, or was there someone here helping him?

The blonde urged his eyes to focus, to see what was there and reveal to him what was going on. He begged himself to shift through the haze and present his saviour to him. When at last it did clear, he could hardly believe what he was seeing. There was someone standing over him, a girl with hair like newly-fallen snow and sporting the Pandora uniform of blue and white, however, this uniform wasn't like the common ones. This uniform was that of a boy's, made up of a jacket and trousers, but it had been significantly modified so the trousers were cute short-shorts instead and the jacket was tailored to hug the girl's figure while the sleeves were left to be long and full. The only part of the uniform that was female were the thigh-high frilled socks and the brown ankle boots Oz had seen so many times on Alice.

Luckily for him, he recognised this altered ensemble, for he had seen it on certain girl that liked to followed Gilbert's stalker of a brother, Vincent. Oz knew this uniform belonged to Break's twin, Echo, and that filled him with sweet relief. She was wielding his staff in her hands with a fierce expertise, but betrayed nothing on her face. Her silvery eyes were completely blank of any emotion.

"Echo-chan." Oz breathed, opening his arms on either side of himself to steady his shaking body. His legs felt like they were going to give out.

Echo tipped her head back. "It's only Echo." She reminded him in a quiet, flat tone. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed his staff into his own hands, earning a yelp of surprise from the blonde when it slipped right through his fingers and clanged to the ground.

_Trust me to drop it, _He sweat dropped, bending to pick it up. As he did, Oz saw the scene that Echo was currently blocking through her legs, and his eyes widened in shock. One of the Baskerville group was flat out cold on the ground and Charlotte's eyes were blazing, flanked by the brunette that seemed to enjoy kicking Oz, and the other boy that so far hadn't even moved. The blonde's eyes widened, straightening slowly, all the while staring at Echo with a curious shock.

"W-what happened?" He asked.

The white-haired girl had stripped off her jacket whilst Oz had been preoccupied, revealing a white, frilled blouse that had laid underneath, a sky-blue ribbon tied into a bow around her collar. The sleeves were just as long so Oz didn't really understand why she'd taken her jacket off, but once he looked closer, he noticed something -the ends of the sleeves had splits in them, parting the material over her hands to her ashen wrists.

"Echo is a good girl. Echo helped Oz Vessalius for Alice -that is all."

Oz smiled, bowing in thanks. "Thanks Echo-chan, but somehow I think this is all going to get worse. Charlotte really has it in for me today."

Folding her jacket and placing it on the cross statue, Echo said, "Echo will protect Oz Vessalius, if it is for Alice."

Oz didn't get to say anything else because at that moment, the brunette from before chose to attack them once more, charging at full throttle and swinging her leg into a high kick. Echo grabbed Oz swiftly, pulling him back as she skilfully dodged the blow and leaving him reeling. Her elbow ploughed into the ribs of her opponent, the brunette doubling over and clutching her middle.

_Bloody hell, _Oz swallowed, _I had no idea Echo could fight._

Oz didn't have the time to just sit and watch though, because there was another coming at him -the boy that had been contented to watch…until now. He went straight for Oz whilst Echo was preoccupied with the girl, throwing a punch he had to quickly parry with his staff, but this guy was a brute! He was huge and scary with a hood masking his face and he just kept on coming one blow after the next without a breather on any sign of repent. Ducking just in time, the youngest Vessalius found himself back to back with his comrade, panting away, their enemies circling them.

"Damn." Oz cursed, "They've never been this determined before."

Echo's cheeks were flushed and she nodded a gentle bob of her head. They both winced when they heard the girl giggle, picking up a run and heading right for them. Oz felt Echo tense beside him, shifting her weight onto one leg -the other had a cut on it- in preparation.

However, the girl never came, for only a second or so after, a loud cracking sound filled the air and suddenly the brunette was on the floor, face-first in the dirt. It was almost as if she'd simply tripped with the unparallel shock that painted her features. Oz wondered what the hell had happened because the guy that he had been fighting had begun to slowly back up and his eyes were wide too. The dark pupils were round with irritation and a masked fear for something or someone that was clearly past the fallen girl. Oz lifted his lashes a little more through the haze of pain that was thumping in his head. It was then he saw the reason why the Baskervilles had stopped.

Lacie.

The blackette had a whip in her hands made of electrum. It was silver, slashed with gold and shimmered under the afternoon sun beautifully. Her hair was pulled up into two sleek, long ponytails tied with scarlet ribbon, matching her Abyss uniform. She wore a black blouse with a red tie and waistcoat. Her skirt was also credulously short, but admittedly, it was longer than the pink-haired girls and she had sometime like that of a chain clipped to it that had a key dangling from it. She also had on dark stockings and shoes and an even darker expression. Her red eyes were glowing with anger and intolerance. Snapping her weapon once more, it curled around her waist like a belt, hanging loose and glistening.

"Charlotte." She grimaced, her lips folding into a harsh line. "What the hell is going on? Tell me! Now!"

Oz noticed the demeanour of the pinkette instantly change. Her eyes narrowed and her body went stiff, rigid like board. Everything about her just turned sharper and intolerant, showing her obvious displeasure with Lacie.

"Glen's orders." The girl answered curtly.

"You're supposed to be in class." Lacie warned.

"So are you." Charlotte retorted.

Lacie slapped her, the girl's head whipping to the side and her eyes widening in shock. The power the blow made her stumble and the grips that had been holding her hair came loose, cherry-blossom-pink locks spilling over her shoulders.

"Imbecile." Lacie growled, smiling a little at her classmate. The action made Oz think that somehow she enjoyed the suffering of her friend, and it made him shiver. Seriously, what was his brother dating? A Psychopath? When Jack sat and talked to Oz about his dates and described his girlfriend, she was the very body of cheerful happiness and sweet independence. Jack made her sound wonderful. Somehow, based on that, Oz was disinclined to believe that _Jack's_ Lacie and _this_ Lacie were one and the same, but given the description, it was impossible to deny it. The blackette turned her back on Charlotte, grinning as she watched her from over her shoulder.

"Alyss has already been informed about what you morons were here doing, so if I were you, I'd think about heading back before she _really_ punishes you. That brother of mine has no ruling over the Will of The Abyss. I had to get pulled out of class just to come and fetch you. Do you have any idea how irritating that is?"

Charlotte's magenta gaze shimmered with anger and hatred and disappointment as she cast a longing gaze at Oz. With a sharp _tsk_ of breathe, the pinkette righted herself before leaving, barking commands to the others. They all followed her with the exception of Lacie, who remained behind until they had gone, making her way over him and Echo. She glowered at Oz even more than she had at her own classmates.

"Dumbass." She called him, "What were you doing just letting them walk all over you? A true Vessalius can fight his own battles -not accept help from a girl."

The blond smiled pleasantly, "Thanks, Lacie. I owe you one."

The blackette made a _pfft_ sound under her breathe. "Whatever." She said, "But don't think I did this for you. I was just here on orders like them."

"Sure." Oz grinned, just happy she had come along at all.

Lacie made the noise again. "What is with you and that idiot brother of yours? Both of you…you both do that annoying grinning thing. Why? What's the point when there is clearly nothing to smile about. You got your ass kicked and now Jack will have to pick up the pieces for you, you scum -he's gonna be worrying about you every minute and not focusing on me." She grimaced, but behind those stubborn and bitter crimson eyes, Oz thought he could see a softer side to this girl, the side his brother often saw, and it was every bit as lovely as he had described. Behind all that cruelty, she truly did care. "You Vessalius punks really are annoying."

Oz just kept on smiling, finding joy when her eyebrow jerked and she span around to strut out of the pavilion after her comrades. The muscles in her back were soft with relief, making her walk look simply hilarious. Awkward and uncoordinated and determined. She reminded Oz so much of Alice.

_Alice…_

His emerald gaze slowly shifted to the girl stood beside him, to the head of white hair that was shoving her arms into her jacket once more and had a look of utter complacent blankness.

_Echo helped Oz Vessalius for Alice -that is all._

That was what she had said. That was the reason she had given for jumping in and saving his skin. Such a simple thing, yet it held a thousand other thoughts behind it. It made Oz wonder why she would use Alice as her excuse -as far as he knew, they never talked. Both had their own lives -Echo followed Vincent and Alice…well, she was just Alice. It was odd that they even knew each other, considering. Oz had been a little surprised to hear that name come from this girl's lips, and wondered what it could mean. Before today, Echo's only reason for doing anything was Vincent. Surely that meant something had changed in her, right? Oz wasn't sure, but it did make him curious.

"Alice…" He mumbled, arching an eyebrow when his savoir suddenly looked up and stared at him, as if she was waiting on him to tell her something, something crucial and important. Her gaze was intense and the silver within took on an odd and alien light Oz didn't know how to interpret, having never seen it in the girl. Echo looked away abruptly when he said nothing, but this time, her cheek and blossomed with a cute shade of pink. It was like rose petals against alabaster. It was…pretty.

_She should blush like that more often, _Oz thought, _It makes her look adorable. Almost…approachable -like a doll that just woken up after years and years of sleeping. Maybe…Echo isn't as emotionless as she looks. I wonder…does she… _like _…Alice?_

Oz mulled it over in his mind, then cracked a whole new smile. For some reason, thinking this made him happy and incredibly pleased for his friend. Alice may have actually found herself a true friend, whether she knew it or not, one who could quell her loneliness and understand the lost feeling Oz knew she sometimes had. One who could dull the cold and sharp edge behind everything the brunette did, just to protect herself. In time…maybe Alice could also teach Echo. She seemed to bring out a warmth and a light in Break's twin more than anyone else ever had and that, Oz thought, promised great things for both parties. Just before the world faded to black and the blonde passed out from exhaustion, he made himself a secret pledge to both Alice and Echo.

He would bring them together. He'd see them friends, if it was the last thing he did, because they both deserved it. Both had saved him from certain unhappiness and allowed him to live another day with his cherished friends and family and true love. For that, he would give them his very best and give them the happiness they had given him back.

It was only fair after all. As Sharon put it sometimes, an eye for an eye.

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><p><strong>There we have it! Another chappy all done! Some action for you there and a bit of subtle romance too. Next chapter: Oz wakes up!<strong>

**I hope you enjoyed that and as always, I will try and update ASAP, but that is all down to you guys reviewing for me! You have to R&R people or else I can't continue, 'kay? I just want to make that clear. No review, no story! So...leave a comment and/or questions if you are confused and I will try to answer them in the next chapter. If you're that impatient, just PM me and I'll answer more or less right away, 'kay? **

**Thank you for reading! Now, for my E...**

**Lazy Gaga- Thank you for your review and your Story Alert! I really appreciate that you took the time to do that for me. Look! I did continue! I'm really glad you enjoyed and I hope you carry on reading**

**Peppermint Twertle - Thank you for the review and Story Alert! That was cool for you to do that when really you didn't have to me and so many haven't. Thank you, I'm really happy you are enjoying my story and I have you intrigued. It's not really that good... XD However, I did update, just as requested!**

** Sanluris- Thank you for the review, Fave Author and Story Alert! It's okay you didn't review the first two chappies, really! You reviewed now and that's all that counts. I followed your advice and POOF, we have AlicexEcho hints in this very chappy! I hope you liked them and the the romance will be up and coming, I promise! If you so wish it, it will happen! I agree -Vincent is a derp and he needs a smack! I hate Vincent! Thanks for the compliment about the scenery, I try to make the world appear as I see it and I'm really glad you appreciate it. Lol, yeah...Charlotte ruined it completely, but she got her butt kicked, so it's all good and help did arrive, in the form of Echo ;) Lol, I like uniforms too, hence why these ones are so so cool, they look freaking awesome! Your review was very good and I hope to see another one like it in the future because it really helped and don't worry about rambling -I do it too...^^^^ see?**

**SilverDecoy -** **A big thank you to this girl! My Imouto-chan! You are my guardian angel and I thought you deserved a mention! You truly are wonderful, hun. Carry on reading and digging that OC Box ;)**

**Thanks to all the above ^^^^ You're time was truly appreciated, more than I can say! **


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